A birthday message from Dad
by who-knows-what
Summary: Finn receives an early birthday surprise. Set near end of season 3. Deals with plot points/info from season 1


A/N- This is my second fic ever and I am so excited and pleased with it. I hope you will take a minute to leave a review, I appreciate constructive criticism but please be nice, I am only a beginner. Though I do feel proud of myself for coming up with a complete story in one marathon day of writing.

**I also give credit to Glee and its sundry writers/creators for providing the supercool Hudmel family.**

**Also credit to Rio Speed wagon for 'I can't fight this feeling anymore' and Brad Paisley's awesome ballad 'If he's anything like me.'**

* * *

"Finn, honey", Carole called. Soon after she heard the music stop and quick steps cross the floor above and then down the stairs. She smiled softly at her son as he poked his head around the corner into the kitchen. "What's up mom?" He asked brightly. "Is lunch ready?"

Carole shook her head. "Lunch can wait for a bit, I need to talk to you about something important." She beckoned him over and indicated for him to sit. A frown creased Finns brow as he looked at his Mom in concern. "Your not dying are you?" he asked, his eyes going wide as panic crept in. Carole reached across and patted his hand reassuringly. "No, no, nothing like that, I just need to give you something. It's sort of an early birthday present….from your Dad". Finn now looked really confused. "You're turning 18 soon and when you were born your Dad and I were so pleased. He knew he would probably miss a lot of your growing up because of his service in the army. It was important to him to make sure that even though he was away that you would always know he loved you so much. That's why he made this". Carole reached to her side and took out a thick envelope and handed it to Finn. "Its something he made before he was sent out on his second deployment. There are some other things that were added later", Carole explained. He turned the envelope over carefully in his big hands and saw one word printed in unfamiliar writing on the front, 'Finn'. He looked across hesitantly to his Mom. She smiled and nodded reassuringly at him. Finn looked down at it again and sighed deeply. Usually he was as excited as a little kid to open letters or presents addressed to him, but this one felt far more serious and lay heavily in his hands. Looking up again he said, "I think I'll take this to my room and open it." Carole stood up and gave Finn a warm hug before he headed back up the stairs

Entering his room Finn sat down heavily on the edge of his messy bed and stared at the envelope again hoping that suddenly he could develop x-ray vision, without actually having to open the thing. It still wasn't working, so he scrunched his eyes tightly shut for a minute. 'I can do this, I can.' He thought to himself. Opening his eyes he quickly flicked his finger under the sealed edge of the envelope, breaking it open and tipped the contents onto the bed. In the pile there was a cassette, a stack of folded papers and a few photographs with an elastic band around them.

Finn stared at the pile of things on his bed warily. He didn't really know what he expected them to do but his felt nervous seeing them just lying there waiting. Eventually he reached over and picked up the cassette. Music was something familiar and easy to understand, this would probably be the best place to start. He flipped open the cover dropped the cassette into his stereo and hit play. Instead of music he heard a man speaking.

_Finn, this is your Dad. Happy 18__th__ birthday son! This is a cassette of a few stories I wanted to share with you so you could get to know your old man a bit better. I don't know how much I'll get to see you and share with you over the next few years. So I wanted to make this tape as a backup. We are being sent to combat soon and I don't know how long till I come home. It will be tough not being around much to see you and your Mom as much as I want. But I have to do my duty and I'm proud of my part in defending our nation and others who can't defend themselves. _

Finn flopped back onto his bed and closed his eyes, conjuring up the image of his Dad in uniform, the image that he had grown up with from the photo that used to sit by his Dads armchair in their old living room.

_There are some photos with this tape for you to look through and I'll share those stories with you, others are there to share with your mom_. _The first is a photo of me and some of my soldier buddies during our training. _His Dads voice said. Reaching across blindly, grasping till his hand found the bundle of photos Finn opened his eyes as he held the photos up to look at them. The top one was indeed a group of army guys in uniform. They stood in a group pose, relaxed, with their arms round each others shoulders, grinning at the camera. They all had smudges of mud or camouflage paint across their faces. He spotted his Dad amongst the group even though he looked younger then the photo that Finn had been thinking of. His Dad was still in uniform, just like the other photo, but there was a difference, in this one he was smiling and relaxed, like they were having a good time. He looked less serious and worn; he could almost imagine they were a group of guys hanging out after a game of paintball or something. It reminded Finn of some of his own photos with his football mates.

_Me and these guys have been through a lot together and sometimes it's been tough. Training, travelling, being away from loved ones and that's all before we are even deployed. The thing is, even though most of us didn't know each other at the start and sometimes we fight amongst ourselves we have learned that we've got each others back, we look out for each other no matter what. While we can't be with our own families we have become family to each others. Family doesn't just have to be blood, it's a group of people who find each other and care about each other. So I hope that you will be lucky enough as you grow up to find that family of friends._

Finn thought about the football guys he had considered friends through school, yeah they were mostly alright but he didn't really see them as family. Some of them had actually been big-time jerks, messing with the kids in Glee club and anyone else that was different. For ages he didn't actually know many of them that well other then Puck and for a while he had also gone along with their immature bullying. But the glee club he had joined two years ago felt different, it had changed him and brought him closer to the guys on the team who had joined Glee as well. Thinking about the group, they were dysfunctional as hell and fought all the time, but somehow they worked. It came down to the fact that they looked out for each other through all that drama. He smiled, maybe he had found a second family liked his Dad had hoped.

_When I was in school I didn't think much of it. I basically went to play football and eat my lunch. Looking back, I realize now that didn't give me many options for what to do when I finished. But that didn't really occur to me at the time. I was lucky though I was fit and pretty good at football, that helped me learn how to be a leader. So when I went into the service to do my term of duty it fit me pretty good. It was something I could do. Thinking on my feet, keeping the group together and being on the move, to know that others were relying on me and looking to me to make decisions to keep them safe, that was something I could be passionate about. Being the leader and caring for people was my thing. It's important to have your priorities straight, whether you are in combat or on the football field. When you are the leader you have to put the group's needs ahead of your own. It means having the courage to make the tough calls; looking out for those you care about and keeping them safe, even if that means putting your neck on the line. It also means standing up for what you believe in, and sticking up for a cause, even if that's not what's most popular. That is what being a leader means._

While he was listening Finn flipped to the next photo and saw his Dad in football gear, standing on the side of the field with a young woman, he looked closer and realized it was a younger version of his mom. They had their arms around each others waist and were smiling up at each other not really aware of anything going on around them. In the background Finn could see other guys in the same football uniform high-fiving and celebrating, one or two of them looked familiar from the previous photo. He realized that his Dads team must have won the match; he turned it over and saw written on the back '_McKinley High Football champs!-John Tyler, captain'_. Wow, McKinley had actually been good at football, he'd heard about the last championship team and to think his Dad had been part of that history was cool.

_That game was my last game of football at McKinley before I graduated. I dedicated that game to your mom. It was the most amazing day for everyone but it will always be extra memorable for me and Carole. After the celebrations I can remember her and I were sitting out on the back of my truck and listening to the radio when Rio Speed-wagon started singing 'I can't fight this feeling anymore'. I just knew it was a sign to make my move or miss out. It wasn't flash or perfect and I was scared stiff that I wasn't good enough but I had to try. So I got down on one knee and proposed to your mom with my class ring. By the beginning of the next year we were married. The next couple of photos are from the wedding. Also a copy of the song that started Carole and my life together…_

As the opening chords played Finn began humming along as he looked to the photos again.

Finn flipped to the next photo and saw his parents, in each others arms again, but this time just about to kiss. They were standing in a park under a tree with the light coming through the leaves. They looked so happy. Other then this photo, Finn realized he hadn't seen his mom look that content and at peace until she married Burt Hummel. These two men had truly made his mom happy and he was grateful to both of them. His Dad must have been pretty special if his mom could look at him that way. He flipped to the next photo and it was his parents again, but this time sitting at a table with another young couple, he recognized the guy from the other pictures. He checked the back of the photo and read the note; _'Wedding feast at Breadstix with Brad and Penny'._

_It was another year and a bit before we found out you were coming along. But by then I had enlisted and had started my service. I only got to see Carole every couple of months after my initial training and usually it was only for a weekend or so. But those times were so special between us. We would talk for hours about plans for our new little family; just sitting together and being a happy couple in love imagining our future. I didn't think I could be any happier, but when I finally got to see the sonogram picture and knew I was having a son I felt like I had won the lottery. It made you so much more real to be able to say 'he' and start to talk about names rather then talking about 'it' or the 'baby'. We talked about what sports you would play, what school you would go to, where we would send you to college, all those things that parents plan. _

Finn turned to the next photo and found a copy of what he recognized as a sonogram from his experience with Quinn. He couldn't really tell much from the bumps and shadows but in the corner he read the date and his mom's name. Turning over he read; _'Our first look at our little boy, so proud'._

_When you were born it was such a special day. I knew that everything I had hoped was right there in my arms as I cradled you. It was the beginning of all our adventures as a family and was just the start of your journey. I knew that at that moment everything in life was perfect as I looked from your sleeping face to your beautiful mom. When you were a baby you would stretch your arms up like you wanted to fly like superman and as soon as you could move you were trying to jump off things determined that you could fly and were off to save the day. From then on you were 'our little hero'._

Finn thought about that for a minute, he did remember a lot of times when he had jumped down stairs or something and had expected to zoom of into the sky. Instead he had ended up with lots of bruises, scrapes and a couple of broken bones. He remembers it was about that time that he started making friends with Puck and had started getting interested in sports and others games to play around the neighbourhood.

Finn snapped back to attention as his dads voice came on again.

_ I was a ratbag when I was a kid, always in trouble with the folks and trying to bend the rules to see what would happen. Looking back I know it caused my mom heart ache and worry when I stayed out too late and took too many risks. But I knew she would love me anyway as she was my mom and that was her job. I thought life was all about adventures, fun and having a good time, I didn't really consider other people in the equation. It wasn't till I started dating Carole that I started taking life a bit more seriously because I had her welfare to consider and then later on yours. I used to tease Carole about what a trouble-maker you would be when you grew up if you were anything like me. She always said you would be a little superman rather then the villain._

_By the time you came along it was too late for me to withdraw from service and we were only a few weeks from being shipped out. I really worried for your wellbeing, growing up without a Dad. I knew your Mom would love you to within and inch of your life and would care for you but there are certain things a boy needs to learn from his dad._

_A friend of mine helped me write this song to sum up my life and what I hope for yours…_

There was a rustling on the tape and a wooden clunk and then Finn heard his dad's voice again. This time he was singing.

"_I remember sayin, I don't care either,_

_Just as long as he or she is healthy I'm ok._

_Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen,_

_Now see that thing right there. Well you know what that means…"_

"_I started wondering who he was gonna be_

_And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me…"_

"_It's safe to say that, I'm gonna get my payback,_

_If he's anything like me"_

…

…

"_It's safe to say that, I'm gonna get my payback,_

_If he's anything like me"_

As the final notes of the guitar drifted out Finn sniffed and wiped his eyes. Listening to that song was like listening to his life story in so many ways. It was like his dad had been there to see it all and record it in song. He had always wondered what his Dad was like and whether he would be proud of him. His thoughts drifted back to the times when he was younger and had wished he had some guidance from his Dad or some way to know if he had things right. He had always tried to do right by everyone and he knew his mom was proud, but that's part of being a mom, to think your kids are special. She had tried to do everything and be everything that he needed and things really had been good. He was fortunate that more recently he had Burt's support too. There was an understanding between him and Burt. Burt never pretended to be his dad, just as Carole never tried to be Kurt's mom. It was just them being there for each other and providing what support they could. They all knew what it was like to lose someone very important and understood that there was no way to take that persons place.

Finn focused again on the tape as his dads voice once again came on.

_ Son I want you to know that if anything ever happens to me I have and will always love you and your mom and as long as you try your best to do right and follow your dreams I will be proud of you._

There was silence and then the tape clicked as it ended.

Finn slowly swung himself into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes again. Before lurching to his feet and retrieving the tape. Taking a seat again he stared into space for a few minutes before slowly looking to his side at the remaining bundle of papers. 'Well', he thought, 'I got this far.'

He reached across and picked up the first paper. It looked to be an official paper from the army. As he read it he realized it was a letter regarding the death of his dad, but he was surprised to see a mention of his fathers actions as being 'heroic' and 'above and beyond the call of duty' in reference to his rescue of a fellow soldier. He remembered growing up and hearing his mom and grandparents refer to his dad as a brave man and a hero, but he had never known why. He finished reading this letter and picked up the next one. It turned out to be a copy of an article from the local paper, again reporting on his dad's death but this one had more detail about the rescue and the man who had been saved. The name mentioned was Brad Sims and there was also a note that he had been a long time friend of Johns and that they had grown up in the local community. At the bottom of the article there was a smudgy photo of the guy. Finn looked closely at it and despite the blurriness and the bandages on the guys head he could still recognize him as the guy from the other photos.

The next paper he unfolded was a hand-written letter.

_Dear Carole and Finn,_

_I am so sad to be writing to you in these circumstances. I want to give you both my heartfelt sympathy on John's death and to say I and his other brothers in arms share in your sadness. I also wanted to make sure you both know I am truly and eternally grateful for John's bravery and sacrifice as he saved my life and potentially many others by his actions in that situation._

_We have been through so much together over the years, both good and bad. I feel privileged to have known both you, Carole and John and to have been with you when you got married. It has been a blessing to see your little family grow with the arrival of Finn._

_I know you both were always not far from his mind and that like all of us it is the thought of loved ones that's gives us peace and strength when we are surrounded by chaos._

_I promised him I would make sure you knew he loved you both deeply and wanted you both to be strong and take care of each other. He said to say he was proud of his little super-hero and that he would be watching over you both._

_If there is ever anything I can do please let me know as I with always hold this debt of gratitude for his actions._

_Best wishes and sincere condolences._

_Brad Sims_

This letter truly made his dad's actions come to life and his heart thumped with pride as he re-read the letter. It amazed him that he could be related to someone so brave and so self-less.

The last paper he went to pick up was folded into a bundle and when he picked it up it was heavy. As it unfolded a flash of colour was revealed. It was a medal and the badge that had been on his father's uniform, showing his unit and rank. This really was evidence of his father's actions and gave him a tangible piece of something to grasp onto. As he sat there holding onto these mementos he heard a knock at his door and looked up to see his mom. She came in and sat down giving him an unsteady smile. They both looked at the items for a quiet moment before Carole spoke.

"We are both so proud of you Finn. You have grown up to be an amazing young man with so much potential and a bright future ahead of you. It was all we ever could have hoped for." She reached into her pocket and took out a chain with a set of dog tags on it. She reached up to put it over his head. "I know you have had your struggles and doubts, but I want you to know you are my hero Finn. You grew up being the man of the house and you really have grown up now. I don't want you to ever forget how special you are and that you are your father's son."

Carole then leaned over and hugged Finn tight and Finn in turn wrapped his arms around his mom, tucking his head into her shoulder and squeezed her tight. "I love you mom…and dad" Finn murmured.


End file.
